Team DEVL
by Jahoan
Summary: Trapped on Remnant with their power restricted, two halfas will have to put their differences aside if they wish to survive in a world of bloody evolution.
1. Chapter 1

**Team DEVL**

 **A RWBY-Danny Phantom crossover.**

 **Chapter 1: Introductions**

"Well this is another fine mess you've gotten us into, Daniel" Vlad Masters/Plasmius sneered, red eyes gleaming.

"Hey, you were the one who threw me into the nexus, V-Man." Danny Phantom shot back, intentionally using his father's nickname for his arch nemesis.

"Be that as it may, but now we are stranded here, in some Pariah-forsaken forest, with no way to get back, so pardon me if I need someone to take my anger out on!" The villainous hybrid bellowed, only to receive a fist to the jaw.

"Calm down Plasmius, getting mad at me won't help." Danny was surprisingly calm. "In fact, I think you just got the attention of the local wildlife." A loud roar sounded through the forest, and a massive, boar-like creature with pitch black fur, bone white armor plating, and four burning crimson eyes charged out of the tree-line. The monster made a beeline towards Plasmius, who tried to turn intangible and phase through the attack, but for some reason could not. The beast caught the halfa in the gut with one of its tusks, and sent Vlad flying. The creature then turned its primal gaze towards Phantom, who tried to fire a ghost ray at the beast, only to find that that power was not present either. Adapting quickly, Danny jumped out of the path of the creature's charge, lingering in the air long enough to realize he could still fly.

"At least that one works." He thanked the powers-that-be. Going on the offense, the halfa charged the monster head on, catching it by the tusks and flipping it onto its unarmored back. Flying high into the air, Phantom shot back down with the force of a cannon, slamming his arm through the monster's chest and holding it there until it stopped writhing and began to dissolve, like ash on the wind.

"Well, not so tough without your powers, now, huh Plasmius." Phantom quipped, the elder halfa sitting up, a hand clutched over the spot where the tusk had hit him, miraculously not piercing flesh.

"Your smart mouth isn't making our situation any better." Vlad glared.

"Really? At least whatever brought us here left me with some semblance of my powers. By the way, why don't you look in a mirror? Don't all narcissists keep one on them?" Danny snarked.

"I am not a narcissist!" Vlad snarled, "And what do mean, look in a mirror?" He noticed a small pool of water to his side, and looked at the reflection.

"This cannot be!?" He looked at the face starring back at him. His face had filled out some, retaining a chiseled appearance whilst simultaneously appearing more youthful. His goatee had completely vanished. His silver hair was still tied back into a ponytail, and his eyes were now a dull ruby red, akin to his ghost form.

"Nice look Plasmius, seems to suit you." Danny was laughing.

"Laugh it up, Daniel, but you don't appear to have gone unaltered either." Plasmius rolled his eyes.

"What are you talking about—Oh" Danny looked at his own reflection. His hair was now raven black on the back and sides, with a shock of snow white on top. His eyes were now an unearthly combination of ice blue and acidic neon green, and still retained their glow. "Huh" he sighed. As for their clothes, Danny was wearing his normal civilian wear, a hoodie over a t-shirt and jeans, with a pair of sneakers. Only they were now in alternating black and white, with seams and laces highlighted in neon green. Vlad was wearing his garb as Plasmius, only without the cape.

"Someone's coming." Danny's focus shifted from their current appearance to the new presence that had entered his sensory range. Whatever it was, it was powerful. The new presence entered the clearing, revealing himself to be an older-looking gentleman. The gentleman had silver hair and brown eyes, a pair of spectacles resting on the bridge of his nose. He was wearing a three-piece suit in several shades of dark green, with a lighter green scarf around his neck. In his hand he held a gray cane with a silver handle.

"I was merely taking a stroll through the woods. Little did I know I would stumble upon two young men, unarmed, I might add, in the middle of a Grimm-infested forest." The man stated, seeming to assess the situation as he spoke.

"Well, we aren't from around here." Danny spoke sheepishly, hand subconsciously going to the back of his neck.

"That much I can tell. It was quite a shock to see someone flying under their own power." The stranger observed. The halfa's eyes widened. "Y-you saw that?"

"Indeed. Now, it would seem your friend could use some medical attention, and I believe we have much to discuss." The man offered Danny a hand, and he accepted.

"So, your telling me that this world is called Remnant, and these 'Creatures of Grimm' are trying twenty-four-seven to destroy mankind, and your part of an order of 'Huntsmen' who fight these creatures with powers you get from your soul." Danny was piecing together what the man had told him. The three of them were sitting at a table on the first floor of an inn at the edge of a village just outside the forest.

"Yes, and you're from another world, with powers of your own, which were somehow restricted in transit to our world." The man stated what little Danny had told him. Vlad was in no condition to argue, with bandages wrapped around his waist where the Grimm known as a Boarbatusk had wounded him.

"I run a school that trains huntsmen and huntresses. You two would most likely do well there. I can tell that you both possess great power. That kind of power can be dangerous in the wrong hands. I will see what I can do about getting you back home, but for now, my offer stands." The man took a sip of coffee.

"So, our options are either get eaten by monsters, or become these 'Huntsmen' you're talking about. Well, we don't have anything left to lose. You have yourself a deal, but I never did get your name." Danny extended a hand.

"Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy." Ozpin shook his hand.

"Danny Phantom, and my _associate_ here is Vlad Masters." The halfa explained.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mister Phantom." Ozpin broke off the handshake.

"The semester starts in a week. I suggest you find weapons that would suit your combat styles. You can take a bullhead to Vale, and I trust you will be able to find your way from there." Ozpin left, a small stack of the currency known as Lien sitting on the table.

"So, that heroic streak of yours has roped us into a world with creatures that would like nothing more than to destroy everything with a soul, and you signed us up _to fight these things!?_ " Vlad asked incredulously.

"You've been spying on me for who-knows how long, and you don't have a full list on powers?" Danny replied sarcastically. "For the past six months I've been developing the reach of my ghost sense. Now I can see the Auras of these people, and I feel the charge in the air. Something big is about to go down, and that Beacon place sounds like it'll be the center for whatever's about to happen. You may not care about anyone but yourself, but I won't sit idly by while innocent people are put in danger. So, you can either help me, or get out of my way."

"I believe I will take that headmaster up on his offer, if only to prevent you from doing something monumentally stupid." Vlad replied, sitting up in his seat. "Although it will take a while to get used to whole 'teenage again' thing."


	2. Chapter 2

**Team DEVL**

 **Chapter 2: Shining Beacon**

Danny looked at his wrists, where his new weapons sat. The bracers were bulkier than needed for armor, but he needed more room to actually house the weapons. After looking into the 'Dust' that was apparently essential to fighting Grimm, Danny had built his weapons with the elemental properties of the substance in mind. A sliver of each type of Dust in its crystal form sat within each bracer. Pressing the button at the base of his palm would rotate the crystals depending on which element he would be using. After studying how Aura worked, and how it worked with him, Phantom had incorporated it into his weapons as well. By pouring some of his Aura into the weapons, a ten-inch blade carrying the elemental power of the selected Dust would spring from the bracer. He had also changed his clothing. The halfa wore a black hoodie with sewn-in armor, white sleeves, and neon green piping around the concealed armor. He wore black trousers and white combat boots with neon green laces. A white belt lined with pouches of Dust sat around his waist, his emblem serving as a buckle. His new scroll, which seemed to serve the same functions as Tucker's PDA, was also clipped to the belt.

Looking up, Danny observed the other people on the airship heading to Beacon. He noted Vlad, now sporting a short-coat in his ghost-form's white-and black colors, the hem reaching his knees to provide him 'sufficient mobility'. A smaller version of the collar from his cape served the same purpose on the coat. On the former halfa's hands were four rings each, each one carved from a different type of dust.

Once the duo had acclimated to their new surroundings, the two examined how the transit across dimensions had affected them. As it turned out, Danny had retained the powers he had when he first became a halfa, while Vlad had been stripped of all his ghost powers. However, it seemed that the process had activated their Auras, and with them, their Semblances. Danny's ghost powers were his Semblance, while Vlad had gained the ability to manipulate shadows. Combined with the rings on his fingers, and the former halfa could create shadow constructs with an elemental charge. Semblances were stated to be tied to personality, and controlling shadows looked to be right up Vlad's alley.

Turning his attention away from Plasmius, Danny noticed two girls starring out the window. One was a large blonde with cascading hair, and the other was a shorter girl with a red cloak wrapped around her shoulders. His enhanced hearing could pick up the banter between them, and he could instantly tell they were siblings. He watched as one kid lost his lunch in their vicinity, and the antics that ensued. He felt the ship descending, and disembarked upon landing, making sure to keep an eye on Vlad. As they were walking through the courtyard, an explosion got Phantom's attention. The girl in red was sitting in a small crater in the courtyard, her and another girl in white covered in soot. A girl in black wearing a bow and holding a book walked up to the other two, holding one of the vials of Dust that must have been thrown by the explosion. His enhanced hearing picked up the conversation between them, and the halfa could not help but small at the scathing remark the girl in black made towards the girl in white.

Danny saw the monochrome girls leave, and decided that the girl in red, who was obviously new around here, could use a friend. Vlad had disappeared sometime during the exchange, but he trusted the other halfa enough to not do something stupid and/or evil in the next hour. The boy who had thrown up on the ship got there first, and introduced himself as Jaune. The girl then introduced herself as Ruby, and Danny decided to make his presence known.

"And I'm Danny." He introduced himself.

"All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!" The blonde boy, Jaune, said.

Ruby laughed, "Look, I'm sorry! Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind."

"Oh, yeah? What if I called you Crater Face?" Jaune retorted.

"Hey, that explosion was an accident!" Ruby defended.

"Well, the name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue - ladies love it!" Danny snorted at his line, at least it wasn't as bad as some of Tucker's pick-up lines.

"Do they?" Ruby asked skeptically.

"They will! Well, I-I hope they will. My mom always says that... Never mind." The halfa could see the confidence running away from the blonde. Ruby giggles, followed by awkward silence.

"So... I got this thing!" The silver-eyed girl pulled out a red collapsible scythe and stabbed the blade into the ground.

"Whoa! Is that a scythe?" Jaune asked, bewildered.

"It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!" The pride was evident in her voice.

"A-wha...?" Jaune did not follow.

Ruby cocked the gun and smiled. "It's also a gun." She stated matter-of-factly

"Oh. That's cool!" Jaune was obviously not familiar with the dual-mode weapons that everyone seemed to carry.

"So what've you got?" Ruby asked. Danny noted the sheath and hilt at Jaune's waist.

"Oh! I, uh..." He unsheathed a blade. "I got this sword!"

"Ooooohh!" Ruby did not seem very impressed.

Jaune continued, "Yeah, and I've got a shield, too!" he got his scabbard, raised his arm and expanded the metal into his defense. Danny was slightly impressed at the utility.

"So, what do they do?" Ruby asked, examining the shield, which the halfa noted as having a gold crest of two crescents on it. Considering his last name, it was likely his family crest.

Jaune fumbled with the shield as it retracted off his arm, expanded, and retracted again before he put it back in place and finally shrunk it down for good, placing it on his belt. "The shield gets smaller, so when I get tired of carrying it, I can just... put it away..."

"But... wouldn't it weigh the same?" Ruby pointed out the obvious.

Jaune spoke dejectedly, "Yeah, it does..."

Ruby giggled. "Well, I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons, sooo... I guess I did go a little overboard when designing it."

"Wait - you _made_ that?!" Jaune exclaimed. Danny couldn't help but look impressed that the girl who appeared two years his younger had crafted a weapon of that caliber.

"Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons! Didn't you make yours?" Danny was even more impressed that apparently everyone her age had already built weapons of likely similar complexity.

"It's a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war." Jaune gestured to the sword.

"Sounds more like a family heirloom to me!" Ruby laughed "Well, I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days."

"Yeah, the classics..." Jaune sheathed the sword. Danny decided to put in his two cents.

"Ancestral weapons are the sign of a powerful lineage." Danny reassured the blonde. Ruby seemed to realize that another person was there.

"So, what weapon do you have?" She asked inquisitively.

Danny flicked out his wrist blades. "These." He channeled the Ice Dust into the blade, causing it to glow blue.

"Ooooh" Ruby admired. Danny could swear he saw stars in her eyes. "Do they have a name?" She asked.

Danny thought for a second how she had named her scythe like a family member, and while he wasn't as attached to his weapons, they did deserve some form of identification that tied them to him.

"Specter's Sting." He finally decided.

"Nice." Ruby started walking ahead. "So why'd you help me out back there? In the courtyard?"

Jaune and Danny walked beside her. "Eh, why not? My mom always says, 'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.'" The blonde stated.

"Just be careful what kind of company you keep." Danny warned.

"Hmm." Ruby looked around. "Hey, where are we going?"

"Oh, I don't know! I was following you." Jaune said, Danny sighed. "Y-You think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? Some kind of recognizable landmark? Is, uh... Is that a 'no'?"

"That's a 'no'." Ruby laughed. Danny reached out with his senses and located the highest concentration of Aura.

"That way." Danny pointed in the direction he had found, and the others quickly followed.

"So, hatched any villainous schemes while I was away?" Danny asked Vlad half-sarcastically.

"Ha, ha, very funny Daniel. As it happens I was surveying the crowd for potential threats." He replied.

"Potential threats?" Danny asked incredulously.

"More specifically, bullies. A school designed to train warriors is bound to have a few superiority complexes." Vlad clarified. "I would be wary of the large ginger with the giant mace. He has 'sadist' written all over his face."

Danny looked for the person Vlad was describing, and found the boy with two others in similar plate armor. Danny could feel the snobbishness radiating from the group, and made a mental note to either stay away from them, or knock them down a peg if they get out of line.

The ghostly huntsman turned to the stage, where Ozpin was readying a microphone.

"I'll keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." The professor sounded like he had given this speech several times before, which made sense to Danny, seeing as he likely did this for every new year of students.

A blonde-haired, green eyed woman with a purple cape took the mic. "You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." The students quickly dispersed.

As night fell, and the first-years were readying for bed, Danny sat on his bedroll, dressed in the jeans and t-shirt he had been wearing when he arrived in Remnant. He was currently meditating, focusing on the feeling of his Aura and Semblance. His ghost powers still seemed to be there, intertwined with the Aura that seemed to radiate from his soul like a miniature sun. His ghostly hearing picked up a conversation between Ruby, her apparent sister Yang, and the girl in black, whose name was Blake. When he heard them discussing the book Blake was reading, he felt Vlad stiffen next to him. He cut off his eavesdropping to turn to Vlad.

"What's wrong?" He asked, for once actual concern was in his voice.

"Tell me Daniel, are you familiar with The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?" Vlad answered with a question.

"The doctor created a serum that gave him an evil split personality. Why do you ask?" Danny was getting confused.

"The good doctor had his serum, I had my portal accident." Vlad stated, starring at the ceiling. Realization struck Danny like an uppercut from Skulker.

"You mean…" Danny began.

"Yes, that accident twenty-three years ago left me with ghost powers, but at the same time created a parasitic personality. That personality was what you've been fighting against since the cloning incident." Danny was speechless. "When we traveled through the nexus, the dimensional energies stripped me of my ghost half, including Plasmius' mind."

"So that's why you seem so different." Danny stated.

"Yes. It seems that whatever higher power there is decided to give me a 'clean slate' as it were." Vlad said with a small chuckle. "You know, part of the reason I was so antagonistic towards you was out out of envy. Your accident made you a true halfa. Half boy, half ghost, one mind and soul. And when I learned you were half ghost, I realized, 'this is the person that can stop Plasmius if he takes over.'"

"So all those ghost and hunters you sent after me was to prepare me to fight you?" Danny asked rhetorically.

"Indeed, and will warn you, just because my evil has been expunged, does not make me any less of a chess-master. I am still perfectly willing to manipulate others to accomplish my goals, no matter how much said goals have changed." Vlad warned.

"Thanks for the warning, V-Man." Danny lay down, only then realizing that the lights were out.

'Wait a second, if Vlad's not half ghost anymore, then how did he hear them and see me?' Danny thought. He turned to Vlad again, and could hear a faint purr.


	3. Chapter 3

Team DEVL

Chapter 3: Initiation

Danny woke up earlier than most of the students, his half-ghost body and mind needing less sleep than the average human. The halfa quickly surveyed his surroundings, seeing very few of the initiates had woken. He checked the time and figured that he had a head start on everyone else. Heading to the locker rooms after eating a quick breakfast, he changed into his combat gear and strapped on his weapons, the recently named Specter's Sting fitting perfectly on his forearms. He briefly cycled through the Dust settings on the blades, and re-sheathed them once satisfied everything was in order. He saw the rest of the initiates filing into the locker rooms, and retrieving their equipment. His heightened eyesight quickly located the silver hair of red eyes of Vlad Masters, and he noted that the former halfa's locker was right next to his own.

"Have a nice cat nap V-Man?" Danny couldn't help but snark.

Vlad froze for what seemed like an eternity. "H-how did you figure out?" He spluttered out.

"One, your ghost powers are gone but your senses haven't dulled, and two, you were purring." Danny listed off.

"So, the dimensional transit turned me into what these people call a Faunus." Vlad sighed. "And I knew you would enjoy teasing me about it, after all, you did keep telling me to get a cat."

Danny barely kept himself from laughing out loud at the Universe's sense of humor. Vlad had even less self-control, and burst out laughing at the thought of the Universe having a sense of humor.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." Danny stated sincerely.

Danny and Vlad stood with the rest of the initiates atop Beacon Cliff, overlooking what was known as the Emerald Forest. They were all standing on metal plates, which Danny could only figure were part of the test. He had heard mention of something called a 'Landing Strategy', and determined that the plates were part of it. Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch were also present, the former holding a coffee mug.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Ozpin stated.

Goodwitch followed with: "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of "teams." Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today."

"What? Ohhh..." The halfa heard Ruby wonder.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." The headmaster completed.

Ruby groaned.

"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

Ruby looked like her whole world had fallen apart. "Whaaaat?!"

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die. You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" The elder huntsman and headmaster concluded. "Good! Now, take your positions." The headmaster ignored Jaune raising his hand, and Danny felt the metal plate spring up at an angle, launching the halfa into the air. 

"Woo-hoo!" The halfa whooped and he shot through the air, his natural talent at flight letting him perform some impressive aerial maneuvers. The feeling of weightlessness was soothing to the halfa as he cruised over the forest unhindered.

And then the giant bird wing slammed into him.

Danny hit the ground with a thud and a groan, silently cursing his inattentiveness. A sudden growl entered his range of hearing rather close by, and the halfa readied Specter's Sting for whatever the forest had to throw at him.

A massive, wolf-like beast with bone-like armor and piercing red eyes charged into the clearing, intent on taking off the halfa's head.

Specter's Sting made short work of it, the blades glowing with crimson fire as the Beowolf collapsed to the ground, its head separated from its shoulders.

That was only the first one.

The rest of the Beowolf pack burst into the clearing, and Danny had to jump high into the air to avoid the mess of claws and teeth. Switching to Earth Dust, he rocketed back down, driving the Dust-coated blades into the ground, creating a shockwave of jagged rock that mauled the Creatures of Grimm. Danny stood back up, panting from exertion, and gulped when he heard the growl of an Alpha. He turned around, and saw the even larger, more armor-clad Grimm standing over him. He readied his weapons…

…And watched in shock as the beast collapsed, an impressive double headed-battle axe embedded in-between its shoulders. A closer look showed that there was a handle in the middle of the blades, as though to provide more maneuverability in close range. HE looked in the direction the axe's handle was pointing, and saw another figure running up to him.

"Oh." The figure said, making eye contact. "I guess we're partners now." She blushed.

"Is this your axe?" Danny asked, pulling the weapon out of the disintegrating Grimm's back.

"Thanks." She took the weapon. "I'm Luna." Danny noted the wolf ears on her head, and thought it oddly fitting for her name to mean 'moon'.

"Danny." He held out his hand. The two shook hands, sealing their partnership.

"So, which way is the temple?" Danny asked.

"I think this way." The wolf Faunus pointed in a direction and started walking there, the halfa following.

As they walked, Danny took note of his partner's appearance. She had pale skin, and ice blue eyes. The girl wore a red sleeveless top, with studded metal shoulder-pads, along with a studded leather skirt that almost reached her knees. Dark red, almost black leggings were swallowed by a pair of thick, fur-lined boots with steel toes. Her crimson hair was braided, and almost reached her waist. The size and heft of the battle-axe showed that she was definitely stronger that she looked.

"So, what exactly can you do?" Danny asked. Luna gave him a raised eyebrow. "I mean…w-what's your semblance?" He clarified. His partner gave a chuckle.

"Let's just say…you wouldn't like me when I'm angry." Her eyes briefly glowed, and Danny gulped.

"So," She changed the subject around. "What can you do?" She smirked.

Danny composed himself, letting Phantom's natural confidence take over. "I can fly, as you probably saw, turn completely invisible-" He vanished from sight for a few seconds. "-and pass through solid objects." He walked straight through a tree they were passing, going through it like it was nothing. "And I have senses that I doubt even you could match." He boasted.

"Looks like I chose well then." She smirked, putting out a foot to trip the halfa, who fell to the ground face first and recovering just as quickly. "Okay, I think I did deserve that." The two arrived at a much large clearing, dominated by a stone structure that was most likely the Forest Temple. Eight others were already there, including Jaune and Ruby, along with a redhead in Spartan armor, a guy who looked a bit like a ninja or martial artist, another redhead who wore white and pink with a look in her eyes that said 'crazy', the blonde girl he had seen with Ruby, the white-haired heiress, and the black-haired girl with the bow on her head. Suddenly two more figures burst into the clearing. Danny quickly recognized Vlad, who was running with a guy clad in white and blue armor, a large kite-shield and lance in his hands.

"I…think we lost it." Vlad panted, his partner also appeared winded. The former halfa looked up. "Ah, Daniel, good to see you survived."

"Can't say the same about you." The glimmer in his eyes and the small smirk on his face told the former halfa that he was joking. The two quickly started laughing.

"Hey!" Someone shouted, getting the attention of the dimensionally-displaced huntsmen. It was the blonde. "Could we get a little less laughing and a little more butt-kicking?" Her lilac eyes turned red briefly, and the two quickly composed themselves.

Then another massive Grimm entered the clearing.

"Butter biscuits." Vlad muttered under his breath. The Grimm was much larger than the scorpion Grimm that was currently fighting a wall of ice. The creature of darkness towered at least fifteen feet tall, and twice the length. It appeared to be a tortoise, with the beak of a snapping turtle. The bone armor that marked most Grimm was even more prominent, covering the entirety of the beast's shell, along with its face and the top of its neck and tail, which also sported deadly-looking spikes.

"That's a big turtle." Was all Danny could think to say, as the beast roared. Danny slammed Specter's Sing into the ground, causing a column of earth and ice to slam into the Grimm's jaw, hitting with enough force to throw the creature onto its back. Sadly, the underside was just as armored as the top.

"Guys? That thing's circling back! What are we gonna do?" Jaune shouted. Danny noted the Giant Nevermore circling around the clearing.

"Look, there's no sense in dilly-dallying. Our objective is right in front of us." The girl in white stated, causing everyone to look at the chess pieces on pedestals in the temple.

Ruby spoke up. "She's right. Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the Cliffs. There's no point in fighting these things."

"Run and live - that's an idea I can get behind!" Jaune put in.

Ruby grabbed the white knight, while Jaune took the white rook. Both Danny and Vlad grabbed the black knight pieces, surprising the former.

"I would think you would go for the king, V-Man." He pointed out.

"These pieces are likely the determining factor to our team placement, and I doubt you want me out of your sight." Vlad replied.

"True." Danny shrugged,

"Time we left!" The ninja kid, who Danny noted had a pink stripe in his hair, shouted.

"Right." Ruby waved for the others. "Let's go!" Danny, Vlad, Luna, and the guy with the shield and lance quickly followed, just as the Grimm Tortoise got back on its feet.

"Come on, we'll lead that thing away from the others, at least long enough for them to get to the Cliffs." Danny ordered as he broke off from the rest of the group, the other takers of the black knight pieces following him.

The Grimm Tortoise tore through the vegetation, and was caught off guard when a massive spiked ball made of stone slammed into its skull, driving the beast's head into the ground. It roared in rage again, and jerked back from the bursts of fire that were striking the side of its face. Danny lowered himself to the ground and waved his arms getting its attention.

"Over here you overgrown reptile!" The halfa taunted. The monster took the bait, and its head shot forward, intent on ramming the annoying human. Danny turned intangible at the last second, and the Grimm's beak became lodged in the ground, which Vlad had rendered into almost mud, then freezing it. The lance-wielder leaped onto the beast's head, and drove his lance into the Grimm's eye, before sending an electric current into the creature, which let out roars of agony, stifled by the fact that its face was half-buried in the ground.

"Danny, you said you can fly, right?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, what are you thinking?" Danny started figuring out what she was planning.

"I can finish that thing off if I have enough momentum behind the blow." Luna hefted her battle-axe over her shoulder.

"Okay, hold on tight." Danny lifted the Wolf Faunus into the air by her shoulders, until they we at height where they could only barely get an accurate shot at the Grimm.

"Now!" Luna shouted, and Danny released her. The Wolf Faunus shot down like a meteor, a white glow surrounding her as she got closer to the ground. Danny shot down after her, and saw her swing her battle-axe over her head, going into a spin before slamming into the creature blade-first. A burst of white erupted from the point of contact.

The Grimm's head exploded a second later.

Looking at the spot where the massive Grimm's skull had been, Danny, Vlad, and the lance-wielder saw Luna walking out of the cloud of vaporized Grimm ichor, drenched head-to-toe in the black blood of the soul-less demon, an ear-to-ear grin on her face.

"I'd like to see anyone top that!" Luna shouted. The four then looked to the Cliffs, where Ruby was dragging the Giant Nevermore up the side using her scythe, decapitating it upon reaching the top.

"Eh, I think that's a tie." Danny quipped. 

"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR." Ozpin announced, the audience clapping for the newly formed team.

Amid the clapping, Nora laughed and gave Ren a hug.

"Led by... Jaune Arc!" Ozpin continued.

"Huh? L-Led by...?" Danny could tell Jaune was not expecting the role of leadership.

"Congratulations, young man." The headmaster personally congratulated him.

"Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by... Ruby Rose!" Ozpin announced, once again to the surprise of the new leader.

"And finally: Danny Phantom. Luna Moonstone. Vlad Masters. Eric Roland. The four of you retrieved the black knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team DEVL. Led by…Danny Phantom!" The newly named Team DEVL stepped up, the audience roaring with applause.

Amid the last round of cheers, Ozpin noted: "It looks like things are shaping up to be an... interesting year." 

As Team DEVL turned in for the night, Danny looked out his window, taking in the view of the shattered moon, and one thought went through his head.

'That was a thing.'


	4. Chapter 4

**Team DEVL**

 **Chapter 4: First Day**

Danny awoke to the sound of a whistle blowing a couple rooms over, and blinked the sunlight out of his eyes. Getting up, he noticed that Vlad and Luna were also now wide awake, while Eric was apparently the definition of an early riser, seeing as he had already gotten dressed and unpacked, and was currently polishing his shield until he could see his reflection. Danny checked his alarm clock, which read 8:00. The halfa and the two Faunus rolled out of their beds and quickly got dressed. They all grabbed a quick breakfast, before getting to Professor Port's class fifteen minutes early. According to Danny: "First impressions are everything.

Teams RWBY and JNPR rushed in seconds before they would have been late.

Professor Port began spinning a personal anecdote about his grandfather and fighting Beowolves. Danny was only half paying attention. The other half was trying not to fall asleep, likening Port's anecdotes to one of Mr. Lancer's lessons. He noted that Ruby seemed to have a similar idea, much to her teammate's frustration. Danny looked at his own team, and was surprised that Vlad had his face buried in the desk, giving off quiet snores. Danny flicked him in the shoulder, and he shot up, looking around quickly, before his glanced at Danny.

"I had no idea a teacher could be this boring." Vlad whispered with a yawn.

"I did, he's almost as bad as Lancer." Danny whispered back.

"Ah-heh-hem!" Port got everyone's attention. "In the end, the Beowolf was no match for my sheer tenacity, and I returned to my village with the beast in captivity and my head held high, celebrated as a hero!" The teacher took a bow.

"The moral of this story? A true Huntsman must be honorable!" Port stated. Danny could agree.

"A true Huntsman must be dependable!" 'Of course' Danny thought.

"A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise!" 'That helps too.' He thought.

"So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" Weiss' hand shot up.

"I do, sir!" She said angrily.

"Well, then, let's find out!" He gestured to a set of red eyes in a dark cage. "Step forward, and face your opponent!"

Vlad visibly gulped.

Team DEVL watched as Weiss, who had changed into her combat outfit, prepared to fight a Grimm that Port had apparently captured. Cutting the lock off with his Blunderbuss-Axe, the cage door fell down to reveal a snarling Boarbatusk.

Vlad fainted, and Danny gave him an incredulous look, the rest of his team looking surprised.

Their attention was diverted by Weiss, who was fighting the Boarbatusk with encouragement and strategic advice from her team, eventually knocking the beast on its back and driving her rapier into its exposed underbelly, the Grimm falling still.

Vlad had regained consciousness, and was looking in interest at the glyphs Weiss had used against the creature.

 **TDEVL**

The rest of the day went rather smoothly after that, although Vlad had disappeared shortly after classes were over.

Danny eventually found Vlad in the library, stacks of books reaching up to his eyes.

"I didn't see you as much of a bookworm, Vlad." Danny got his attention, and he dropped the book he was reading. Danny looked at the page it was opened to, showing a rather simple glyph.

"Oh, Daniel, I didn't see you there." Vlad shook his head.

"What are you reading about?" Danny asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I am looking at every text regarding the creation and control of glyphs." Vlad answered. "It would drastically refine my fighting style if I could cast these, instead of merely overwhelming my opponent.

"Huh, clever." Danny looked over his shoulder. A smirk appeared on his face. "That would make for some _epic_ team attacks."

"True, and if we hope to survive in this world, I guess I have to be a team player. I'm not exactly one to follow orders." The former halfa sighed.

"Hey, lighten up, V-Man. From what I've seen of your new powers, you make for an excellent support class." Danny tapped him on the shoulder. Vlad chuckled.

"You know; it seems like our team is the classic D&D party." Danny's eyes widened.

"W-wait a second, you know Dungeons and Dragons?!" Danny asked incredulously.

"Of course I know the game. What do you think we did in college when we weren't studying ghosts?" Vlad responded. "I play a mean wizard. Your father was always the Paladin, and Maddie was an unstoppable Ranger."

"So, I guess I'm the Rouge, Luna's our Barbarian, and Eric's the Paladin." Danny suggested.

"That is a formidable combination." Vlad noted.

Danny looked distant for a moment, before changing the subject.

"You know; between your evil plans and me stopping them, did we ever get to actually know each other?"

"I guess not, but as they always say: There's no time like the present." Vlad remarked.

"So, I'm Danny Phantom." Danny held out his hand.

"Masters, Vlad Masters." They shook.

 **TDEVL**

It was well into the night when Danny and Vlad snuck back into their dorm.

"We are going to have to tell our teammates about us being from beyond this world." Vlad stated.

"We'll cross that bridge when it appears. As much as I like being the hero, it feels good to not be the center of attention for once." Danny whispered as they phased through the door and slipped into their beds without a sound.

 **TDEVL**

The rest of the week went smoothly, and on Saturday, Danny called for a team meeting.

"Okay, we managed to make it through our first week at Beacon without any trouble, but I doubt that will last." Danny announced. The rest of his team were sitting on their beds, which had been rearranged after hearing what Team RWBY had done. Thankfully their setup was more stable than RWBY's, namely because Danny had gone out and gotten some extra planks of wood from the Emerald Forest, which had been fused to the bed frames with intangibility. Danny and Vlad had claimed the top bunks. Vlad due to his nature as a Cat Faunus, and Danny because he always felt more at ease when off the ground.

"I'm pretty sure that most of us only met during Initiation, and if we can even hope to be an effective team, we have to get to know each other. Ozpin said that we will be teammates for the next four years at least, and I would rather not have us going for each other's throats. So, introductions. I'm Danny Phantom, my semblance lets me use ghost powers."

"Ghost powers?" Luna asked.

"I can fly, turn intangible and invisible, and my senses are on the same level as most Faunus." Danny explained. "I can also make other people and objects intangible, as with the beds." He gestured to their bunks. "My weapons are Specter's Sting," He popped the blades out. "A pair of retractable wrist-blades that can be charged with Dust."

"My name is Vlad Masters, resident shadow-wielder. My rings each contain a Dust crystal, allowing my shadows to carry an elemental charge along them, and I am studying glyph-casting." Vlad projected a glyph on the floor, which started to pull everyone closer to it before he cut the power. "And if a couple of you couldn't already tell, I'm a Cat Faunus." The only one who looked surprised was Eric. "I would rather not have people bring attention to it." He said quietly.

"We won't judge you, you're our teammate." Eric stated. "And I guess I'll go next."

"My name is Eric Roland the third. My grandfather fought in the great war, and I am proud to carry on his name and Semblance. Every member of my family has the ability to absorb elemental energy and project it back. We carry the Mirror Shield as proof of our gift." That explained why he it was so reflective. "And my lance doubles as both a stun-blade and a rail gun." Now they were impressed.

"Thanks for saving me for last." Luna said sarcastically. "My name is Luna Moonstone, and my semblance lets me enter a sort of "berserker state" where I can hit harder, and take more damage, and Grimm seem to get scared whenever I use it." She explained, catching their attention entirely. Anyone who makes Grimm get scared is powerful indeed. "And this," She pulled out her battle-axe. "Is my sweetheart, Meteor Fang. I forged her myself, and even built in a set of micro-rockets to give her that extra oomph when I swing her." They only now noticed the vents on the head of the axe above the inner handle.

"So, next Saturday we'll work on strategy. I hereby call this meeting adjourned." Danny announced, and they all went back to what they doing before the meeting had been called. Eric was modifying his lance, Luna was sharpening Meteor Fang, Vlad was reading about more complex glyphs, and Danny was writing down the information he had just learned about his teammates, specifically their weapons and Semblances.

All in all, that could have gone worse.

 **AN: Team DEVL's weapons:**

 **Danny: Specter's Sting: a pair of retractable wrist blades that contain Dust Cyclers similar to Myrtenaster within the housing. He doesn't have to reload, since he uses Dust crystals with his Aura instead of Dust in powdered form.**

 **Eric: Gorgon and Titan: Gorgon is a Mirror Shield (Like in Legend of Zelda) He can either reflect attacks directly, or absorb the energy and build it up into a much more powerful burst. Titan is basically Neptune's weapon without the full gun form or trident form.**

 **Vlad: Mandarin (Yes a reference to the Marvel character.): a set of rings with Dust crystals set into them, applying their affects to Vlad's Shadow Semblance/Glyphs.**

 **Luna: Meteor Fang: A double-headed battle-axe with a handle in the middle of the head. Micro-rockets sit inside both sides of the head, and increase her striking power.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Team DEVL**

 **Chapter 4: Subtle as a Flying Mallet**

"So! There we were, in the middle of the night…" Nora began.

"It was day." Ren corrected.

"We were surrounded by Ursai…" the hammer-wielder continued.

"They were Beowolves." Ren corrected again, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Dozens of them!" Nora suddenly shouted. Teams RWBY, JNPR, and DEVL were all at their lunch table, with Nora spinning a dream she had. Blake was paying no attention, more focused on her book, Weiss was pointedly ignoring the hammer-wielder and filing her nails, while Yang was hanging onto every word, Ruby and Pyrrha listening politely, and Jaune messing with his food, obviously distracted.

"Two of 'em." Ren corrected once again. Ruby and Pyrrha were now looking at Jaune in concern.

"But they were no match…And in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs!" Nora finished.

Ren sighed. "She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now."

"Don't Grimm dissolve completely when you kill them?" Danny asked.

Pyrrha was looking at her team leader. "Jaune? Are you okay?"

Jaune snapped up. "Huh? Oh, yeah! Why?"

"It's just that you seem a little… not okay…" Ruby noted.

"Guys, I'm fine. Seriously! Look!" Jaune stated unconvincingly. All attention then focused a couple tables over, where team CRDL was harassing a Faunus girl, pulling on her ears and mocking her. A low growl emanated from Danny's throat and his eyes narrowed.

"Jaune, Cardin's been picking on you since the first week of school!" Pyrrha spoke up.

"Who? Cardin Winchester? Nah… He just likes to mess around! You know, practical jokes!" Jaune defended.

"As someone who has engaged in multiple prank wars, I know the difference between a prank and a bully." Danny stated.

"He's a bully." Ruby seethed.

"Oh, please! Name one time he's 'bullied' me." Jaune scoffed.

Danny rolled his eyes. "You really want me too?" He challenged. "Knocking you books out of your hands in the hallway." He counted off one. "Using your own shield to trap you in a doorframe." He counted off two. "And let's not forget the ever classic locker throw, and launching you halfway to Vale!" He counted off three with his fingers. His eyes were now glowing toxic green.

"I didn't land far from the school!" Jaune tried to laugh it off incredulously.

"Once is happenstance, twice is co-incidence, but three times is enemy action!" Danny counted off again.

"Jaune, you know if you ever need help, you can just ask." Pyrrha tried to console her partner.

"Ooooh!" Nora sported a less-than-sane grin on her face. "We'll break his legs!"

"Guys, really, it's fine! Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to me; he's a jerk to everyone."

The laughing grew louder, and the rabbit Faunus cried out in pain when Cardin tugged on her ears.

"Ow! That hurts! Please, stop…"

Danny's eyes narrowed into glowing slits.

"Told you it was real!" Cardin turned to his cronies.

One of his teammates laughed. "What a freak!"

That was the last straw.

Danny's eyes burned acidic green, and the growl in his throat became audible.

"Forget the legs, I'm breaking something higher up." Danny growled before vanishing from sight.

"Well, those boys are as good as dead." Vlad shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Everyone at the table asked.

"Daniel has a temper, and an even shorter fuse when it comes to bullying. And here, there is nothing to stop him from taking action.

All eyes turned to Team CRDL, as their leader was yanked to the ground by his ear. The halfa rose from the ground like a vengeful spirit, which was not that far from the truth.

"You're going to pay for that." Danny growled, and Cardin scampered up.

"You're the only one whose gonna pay! Freak!" Cardin threw a right hook at Danny, who caught the blow by the forearm and raised his right leg up behind him.

Every male in a five-mile radius winced in involuntary sympathy, many inexplicably. Very few noticed the sound of cracking bones mixed in with the screams of agony.

Cardin landed on his knees, his face a combination of pain and shock. Then he fell the rest of the way to the ground, a very weak moan emanating from his lips. The halfa looked on in grim satisfaction.

"Why didn't I think of that!?" Nora asked Ren, who merely shrugged.

Danny turned to the rest of Team CRDL, his eyes still that venomous green.

"Anyone else wanna try?"

Team CRDL wisely fled, dragging their downed member with them.

Danny stalked back to the three teams' shared table.

"I will not tolerate any bullying or racism at this school." Danny stated as he went back to his lunch.

"Did you have to be so… thorough with him?" Eric asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"If you want to teach people like that a lesson, you have to be about as subtle as a flying mallet heading towards your face." Danny finished his meal, and stood up. "Now, our next class is history, and with the teacher, it'd be best not to be late.

 **TDEVL**

Professor Bartholomew Oobleck was eccentric to say the least. His love of coffee was only matched by the speed of his Semblance. Today they were covering the history of the Faunus Rights Revolution.

Danny looked as his classmates, and noticed that Jaune was only barely paying attention, more focused on staying awake than anything else. Luckily, Cardin was not there, as he was still in the infirmary for a nearly shattered pelvis. Unfortunately for Danny, he knew that he would be getting detention for his actions at the least. It was just how karma seemed to work for him.

"This is prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution, more popularly known as the Faunus War!" Oobleck was rushing about the classroom, almost appearing to teleport. "Humankind was quite, quite adamant about centralizing Faunus population in Menagerie." The professor pointed to a location on a map of Remnant. "Now! While this must feel like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these are relatively _recent_ events! Why, the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day!" He continued to zoom across the classroom as he spoke. "Now! Have any among you been subjugated or discriminated because of your Faunus heritage?"

A few of the students raised their hands, including a reluctant Velvet.

"Dreadful, simply dreadful! Remember, students, it is _precisely_ this kind of ignorance that breeds violence!" He took another sip of his coffee. "I mean, I mean, I mean just look at what happened to the White Fang! Now, which one of you young scallions can tell me what many theorize to be the turning point in the third year of the War?" Weiss raised her hand. "Yes?" The professor asked.

"The battle at Fort Castle!" The heiress proudly declared.

"Precisely!" The professor responded. "And, who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagune's forces?"

Danny looked down at his textbook, quickly analyzing the passage about the Battle of Fort Castle. With a silent 'of course', the halfa raised his hand.

"Mr. Phantom, do you have the answer?" The professor pointed at him.

"Lagune forgot that many Faunus have sharper senses than humans, and perfect night vison. The General made the mistake of attacking while his opponent held the advantage, and not even the size of his army could make up for it, leading to his capture along with a large portion of his army. Combat 101, stealth is worthless when your opponent can see through your cover while your visibility is limited." Danny answered. Many of the students looked impressed, and Jaune had fully regained consciousness.

"Excellent Mr. Phantom, I could not have said it better myself. Now! Moving on!" The professor began to talk about how the War had turned in favor of the Faunus, before ending in the Second Treaty of Vytal.

After class, Professor Oobleck asked both Danny and Jaune to stay behind for a moment.

"Mr. Phantom, according to Mr. Bronzewing, you are the reason that Mr. Winchester was not able to attend class today, is that true?" The green-haired teacher questioned.

"Yes sir. In my defense, he was harassing another student, something I cannot and will not tolerate." Danny replied.

"As I suspected. Now, while I cannot completely condone your actions, I can give you a lighter punishment than if you were talking to Goodwitch. Mr. Arc is falling behind in this class and several others. As such, you will be tutoring Mr. Arc for the foreseeable future, at least until he can get his grades up and not fall asleep during my lectures." Jaune looked shocked, and a small smirk played upon Danny's face.

 **TDEVL**

Danny found Jaune on the roof of one of the dorm buildings. Pyrrha was with him and they were talking.

"'Cause this is always what I've wanted to be!" Jaune shouted. "My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heroes! I wanted to be one, too. I was just never good enough."

Pyrrha put her hand on his shoulder. "Then let me help you!"

Jaune shouted, frustrated. "I don't want help! I don't want to be the damsel in distress! I want to be the hero!"

Pyrrha was taken aback. "Jaune, I-"

"I'm tired of being the lovable idiot, stuck in the tree while his friends fight for their lives! Don't you understand? If I can't do this on my own... then what good am I?" Jaune broke down.

"So you want to be the hero of the story, Jaune?" Danny spoke, becoming visible as he landed on the roof.

"Danny?" They both asked. "H-how much did you hear?" Jaune gulped.

"What I heard doesn't matter, what matters is that you do need help." Danny began. "Nobody can be the hero on their own. Even when you're the only one who can truly fight the battles, your team is what keeps you alive. But more than that, you aren't just a huntsman in training, Jaune. You are a team leader, and that doesn't mean, 'do as I say', it means that you have people relying on you, and people who you can turn to for help. And if you think that you can do it on your own, then YOU. ARE. DEAD. WRONG!" Danny shouted.

The halfa turned to leave. "And for the record, not all heroes are fighters." Danny leaped into the air, and vanished from sight.


	6. Chapter 6

**Team DEVL**

 **Chapter 6: Bloody Evolution**

Team DEVL were sitting in their Botany class, where Professor Peach was giving a lecture on the importance of botany in the life of a huntsman.

"Remnant is a dangerous place, and it is not just Grimm that huntsmen and huntresses have to worry about. The flora of Remnant is both incredibly beautiful, and can either save your life in the field, or _end it_." Team DEVL was taking notes, and Danny couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding, although that may have been because Cardin was back in class, and seemed to have an eye on the halfa.

"Today we will be going over the flora found in Forever Fall, just north of Vale. The sap from Forever Fall's trees is a powerful restorative, but not all plants are so beneficial. As is the case with Forever Fall's Blood Blossoms."

Danny looked up from his notes as his stomach dropped. "D-did you say _Blood Blossoms?_ "

"Yes Mr. Phantom, and it seems at least one person here is aware of danger Blood Blossoms possess." The professor answered, pulling the cloth covering a jar to reveal a Blood Blossom, with blood red petals and reddish-purple leaves, stem, and thorns. Thankfully the jar appeared to be sealed, and the Blossom wasn't giving off the painful red vapor. "This is a Blood Blossom, also known as a Grimm Rose. Once removed from its bush, the blossoms give off a vapor that is harmful to those who have an active aura. As long as a person is exposed to the vapor, their aura will be slowly and painfully depleted. Additionally, some people are allergic to the flower, making these effects much worse. Hope that you never have to encounter this flower, and if you see a bush, stay away from it. I have seen several great huntsmen brought low by merely one of these flowers."

Danny turned to his classmates, and saw Vlad actually looking apologetic. As the teacher moved on to other kinds of plant life that could be found in Forever Fall, Vlad leaned towards Danny and whispered, "It may not mean much to you now, but I am sorry for the incident with the Infi-Map and the Blood Blossoms."

Danny whispered back "At least I know those things won't blow my secret."

At the end of the class, Professor Peach told them that they would be taking a trip to Forever Fall the next day to gather Red Sap from the forest.

 **TDEVL**

Teams RWBY, JNPR, CRDL, and DEVL were led into Forever Fall by Professor Goodwitch. Each person carried an empty jar to fill with Red Sap, and a tap to retrieve the sap. Teams RWBY, JNPR, and DEVL stuck to one clearing, while Team CRDL went out on their own, with Glynda warning them all not to sight-see. Oddly, Team CRDL was carrying several more jars than necessary.

Things were going smoothly, although Jaune was apparently allergic to the Sap, while Nora was drinking any that she got her hands on, much to the team's frustration. After the fifth stolen and emptied jar, Danny turned the jars invisible, although she somehow managed to find them. Just as the halfa was thinking of another way to deal with the hyper-active hammer-wielder, his heard the sound of glass shattering, and saw Red Sap splattered on Jaune's chest-plate, a broken jar at his feet. Several more jars flew into the clearing, most hitting the ground and splashing those nearby with the sap. Danny heard one last jar shatter, feeling it hit his back…

And he felt pain course through his entire body.

The halfa screamed as he collapsed, barely able to see the look of horror on his classmates/teammates faces, and only just seeing the fluttering red petal trailing vapor across his line of sight.

Blood Blossoms had been described by Plasmius as "a primitive Specter Deflector". What the elder halfa hadn't known was that it felt like the portal accident all over again. Phantom felt like every cell of his body had caught fire, while thousands of white-hot needles jabbed into him.

It was unbearable.

Outside of Danny's perspective, things were only getting worse, as dozens of the insect Grimm known as Rapier Wasps buzzed into the clearing, enticed by the scent of Red Sap. Nora was freaking out and covering her head in fear, while Ren tried to shoot them down, a difficult task due to their sheer speed and numbers.

"Nora's allergic to bees!" Ren shouted, barely above the sound of gunfire. Teams RWBY and JNPR were trying to deal with the wasps, while Team DEVL was freaking out over their leader.

"How do we get rid of these things!?" Luna half-asked, half-shouted, referring to the Blood Blossoms that now covered Phantom's back as he writhed in agony.

"I have no idea!" Vlad cried out. Suddenly, Danny's aura flared out, and his eyes burned in emerald and ice-blue flames. HE slowly stood up, the blinding aura flashing around him. Pulling his arms in and then throwing them out, a wave of green energy swept the clearing, vaporizing the Rapier Wasps and any trace of the Blood Blossoms.

The halfa reached out with his hand, and a lance of verdant power shot into one of the trees, sending Cardin Winchester tumbling to the ground.

"You just made…A big mistake." The halfa growled, his eyes glowing toxic green. His eyes suddenly turned ice-blue, and a similarly colored beam shot from his hand, encasing the mace-wielder's leg in ice.

Phantom stalked up to the boy, and leaned down until they were face-to-face.

"I did give you a second chance, I was holding back last time. But the next time you try to hurt or harass me or my friends…Well, then we'll have a problem." The halfa threatened, before stepping back, and then slamming his heel into Cardin's frozen knee.

The sound of bone shattering could be heard for miles.

Cardin was dragged back to the rest of the group by his wrist, where the rest of Team CRDL were cowering in fear of Teams JNPR and RWBY, more-so JNPR, who were looking downright murderous in their glares.

"What is going on here!?" Goodwitch demanded as she strode into the clearing.

Eric roughly tossed Cardin in front of Goodwitch, the boy landing with a thud.

"Cardin tried to kill our team leader with Blood Blossoms." Eric gruffly explained.

"And his teammates sent Rapier Wasps after us!" Yang seethed, Ember Celica pointed at Russel's head.

Glynda looked over the scene for a moment while processing the information before speaking. "Team CRDL, I am deeply disappointed and appalled by your actions today. We do not take attempts to kill other students lightly.

"It was just a prank-GAH!" Cardin cried out as a dust round shattered his other knee. All eyes turned to the source of the shot, and were surprised to see it was Ren who had pulled the trigger.

"Your 'prank' almost got Nora killed." He spoke evenly, barely hiding the rage in his voice.

 **TDEVL**

When the teams returned to Beacon, Danny and Ren both got detention for breaking Cardin's legs, while Team CRDL was left on very thin ice, with the looming threat of expulsion if they put even a 'single toe out of line'. By the time Team DEVL returned to their dorm, the two Remnant natives on the team were brimming with questions.

"What was that crazy light show you did back there? You took out all the Grimm in one move. How?" Luna questioned.

"I am interested to know how our leader was able to do that, along with the ice you used on Cardin." Eric asked, arms crossed.

"Okay, guess I should be honest with you guys. Vlad and I aren't from around here, and I don't mean Vale, I mean Remnant." This had their attention.

"I guess you could say it started twenty-three years ago, with a crazy idea being brought to fruition…"


	7. Chapter 7

**Team DEVL**

 **Chapter 7: Reunions**

"So, you're telling us that you two are from another universe?" Luna asked, bewildered by the explanation Danny had just given as to why his powers differed from those of a normal huntsman.

"So does Vlad have these powers as well?" Eric asked, taking interest in what secrets his partner could be hiding.

"No Eric, my ghost powers, along with the darkness of my ghost half, were striped from me in transit to this world, and instead I was turned into a Faunus, while being sent back to my late teens biologically." Vlad answered.

"Huh." Was all the paladin could say.

Then their scrolls rang. Danny answered first, and saw that it was a message from Ozpin.

"He wants us to see him in his office, now." The team leader summarized.

"Well let's not keep the old man waiting!" Luna said, bouncing towards the door.

"He just wants to see me and Vlad." Danny told his partner before she could cross the threshold.

"Aw," The wolf Faunus sighed. "Well, tell us what happened when you get back!" She perked up.

"Will do." Danny waved as the two dimensionally-displaced huntsman left the room.

 **TDEVL**

"We picked up strange energy readings in the Emerald Forest. One of the cameras left over from Initiation picked up this." Ozpin presented a tablet, displaying a short video clip of a flash of green, with a white, shuttle-like vehicle flying from the location of the flash.

"Is that-" Vlad began to ask, only for Danny to finish for him. "—The Specter Speeder. It looks like someone's been looking for us."

"I want you two to greet our new arrivals, and protect them from the Grimm in that region. If what you told me of your world is true, they may be in over their heads.

"We'll do it. But the rest of my team is coming with us." Danny stated.

"Oh?" Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "Are they aware of your otherworldly origins?"

"We were telling them right before you called us here." Danny replied.

"Then I see no issue with letting you take a Bullhead out there. I believe your teammate Eric listed 'Certified Vehicular Pilot' on his transcripts." Ozpin sipped his coffee as the Halfa and the Faunus left to fetch the rest of their team.

 **TDEVL**

"We're coming up on the coordinates Ozpin gave us, and it looks like we'll be coming in hot." Eric stated from the cockpit of the Bullhead.

"I can sense a lot of Grimm in the area." Danny noted.

"And I'm picking up some powerful auras." Luna added.

Team DEVL found a clearing, and within it was a battlefield. Seven human figures stood in the clearing near a crashed Specter Speeder, fending off a horde of assorted Grimm.

"Okay, here's what we're gonna do." Danny ordered. "Luna and I will drop in first, then Eric will land the Bullhead." Danny turned to the paladin. "You and Vlad will then meet us in the clearing. This goes without saying, but if you see a Grimm, take it down." Danny looked at his team. "Everybody got it?" Three nods told him yes. "In that case, Team DEVL, time to fly."

"Nice battle cry." Vlad noted as Danny and Luna leaped from the Bullhead into the fray.

 **TDEVL**

Sam Manson was not enjoying this. Team Phantom and the Fentons had scoured the Ghost Zone for months, following the trail of the Boo-merang until they found a massive glowing ball in the middle of the Ghost Zone. The orb of energy had drawn in in like a black hole, and they had been buffeted by currents of power as they spun through the rift, uncontrolled. The rift then dumped them in some kind of forest, where they were immediately attacked by creatures sporting some kind of bone armor. As much as Sam loved animals, these things felt fundamentally wrong. To top it all off, every member of their party now had superpowers, like in the origin of the Fantastic Four. Sam gestured with her hand, and another thorny vine shot from the ground and swatted a were-wolf like creature aside.

Tucker was throwing pieces of the Specter Speeder's hull at the creatures, the metal caught in some kind of electrical field that reminded the goth of Technus. Valerie was using the weapons of her suit to fire at the creatures, occasionally letting loose fireballs from her fingertips, a power she doubted came from the suit. Dani—no Ellie—didn't seem to have her powers affected, but her appearance had changed into a sort of half-way point between her ghost and human forms. The Fentons also seemed to be affected. Jazz seemed to be predicting her opponents every move, while every single one of Maddie's shots found their mark. Jack seemed to have the most obvious power, as he summoned what appeared to be a wire-frame shield to keep the monsters at bay.

A loud shout came from above, and several of the creatures were blasted into the ground with green bursts of energy. A wolf's howl sounded, and a girl with wolf ears, tail, and a massive battle-axe slammed into the forest floor, sending out a shockwave that sent the red-eyed monsters flying.

"Now that's what I call an entrance." The wolf-girl quipped.

"Less talking, more slaying." Another voice spoke. Sam looked up, and saw a young man in a black-and-white, hooded outfit. He was blasting the creatures with green blasts which looked suspiciously similar to Danny's ghost rays. A loud caw got his attention, and a pair of red-glowing blades shot out from his wrists. The giant bird-like creature shot towards the newcomer, and he seemed to smirk as it drew closer. The flying man charged over the monster's back, slicing with his blades until they had passed each other. The creature turned for another strafe…

…Only for its back to burst into flames.

The monster crashed into a nearby tree, and began to dissolve as it fell.

The figure descended, and landed lightly on the ground. Green-blue eyes peered from under the hood, and a shock of white hair could be seen.

"Danny?" Sam asked.

The figure removed his hood, revealing a familiar face.

"What took you so long?" He smirked.

Just then, a massive, boar-like beast rammed into the halfa and sent him flying, only for a set of sharpened tendrils to pierce the beast's skin in the gaps in the armor. The four-eyed monstrosity squealed as fire rushed along the tendrils and into its form. The entire thing exploded in a cloud of dust and bone fragments.

"Sorry I'm late, Eric couldn't find a place to park." Another new voice stated, this one carrying another familiar tone. The speaker stepped into the clearing, his crimson eyes glinting in the light.

"GRIFFON!" Luna shouted, and the newcomer ducked down as another flying creature tried to catch the white-clad man in its claws. He stood back up, and his sclera turned pitch black as more shadowy tendrils, this time tinged with crackling yellow, shot from his fingertips and flash-fried the beast, whose charred remains thudded into the ground.

"Too easy." He said.

"Don't get cocky Vlad, those things hunt in packs." An armor clad figure charged into the clearing, throwing an electrically-charged lance into the side of another of the winged terrors.

Sam did a double take at the shadowmancer. "VLAD!?" She shouted, realizing that the shadowmancer could be none other than Vlad Masters, AKA Vlad Plasmius, one of the two ghosts that bothered Danny the most. Throwing out the vines she controlled, she bound Phantom's Arch-nemesis head-to-toe in vines, the thorned variety. A strange black glow kept the thorns from piercing his flesh, and all combat stopped.

"WHAT!?" Team Phantom/The Fentons shouted as they turned to their captive.

Even the monsters had frozen.

"Stop. Before anyone does anything rash." Danny stood back up.

"You're defending him?" Sam spat.

"After all the lies and manipulations he's put us through!" Valerie shouted, Ellie nodded in agreement.

"Things are different now, Vlad's different." Danny said. Sam could not believe what she was hearing.

"What, so somehow you got Vlad to see the 'error' of his ways and he's using his ghost powers for good?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Plasmius is gone." Vlad stated from his entrapment. "I lost my powers and the psychosis that came with them when we were pulled through the Nexus."

"Then how do you explain the shadows and the force field?" Tucker chimed in.

"That is our Semblance and Aura, the power of the Huntsmen and Huntresses." The wolf-girl stated, holding up her clenched fist for emphasis. "Now would you kindly let go of our teammate." Her eyes narrowed.

"Why should I, wolf-girl?" Her narrowed further and she growled.

"Stop!" Danny shouted, getting between the two women. "Sam, let Vlad go. Luna, clam down before someone gets hurt." His voice resonated with an air of authority that made it hard to ignore. Sam released her control of the vines, and Vlad dropped to the ground with a thud and a groan, while Luna took several deep breaths before appearing to calm down.

"Now, why don't we get out of here before were overrun by Grimm, and head to someplace safe to explain everything." Danny suggested, still using his authoritative voice. Everyone could not help but agree, worn out from battling the monsters that infested the forest.

 **TDEVL**

The Specter Speeder had been moderately damaged in the crash, but could still hover, and was being towed behind Team DEVL's Bullhead by a length of cable.

"This is Remnant, a world where humanity has been hunted mercilessly by the Creatures of Grimm." Danny began to explain.

"Has anyone tried reasoning with them?" Sam asked, ever the negotiator.

"Ha." Luna barked. "There is no negotiating with Grimm. They are soulless creatures, incapable of any thought beyond killing anything human."

"She's right." Danny cut off Sam before she could say anything. "It's been scientifically proven that Grimm lack souls. Unfortunately, the older a Grimm gets, the smarter it gets, becoming capable of strategy, but always seeking to kill. These aren't ghosts. These are beings who thrive on negativity, and will not stop until every soul has been extinguished."

"Poetic, now what's with the powers and the animal ears?" Valerie asked.

"I'm what's known as a Faunus." Luna stated. "We have traits of animals, along with senses to be envious of. Unfortunately, many humans believe us to be less than human, and do not hesitate to make their bigotry known." A subtle growl escaped her throat. "And as for the powers, everyone who has a soul can have their Aura activated. Aura provides those with it active protection, akin to a force-field, along with enhanced durability, endurance, speed, and strength. Those who are exceptionally powerful or in tune with their Aura can even sense the power level of other Aura users. From our Aura, we also derive our Semblance. Semblances are unique to the individual, unless you're a Schnee, and even then, some families will have Semblances that focus around one 'area', so to speak. You also appear to have your Auras and Semblances activated."

"So, when I controlled the vines…" Sam began.

"That was your Semblance." Danny answered. "It was probably influenced by what happened with Undergrowth."

Sam grimaced at the thought of the Undergrowth Incident. She never wanted to lose control like that again.

"So, what about the rest of us?" Tucker asked.

"We'll figure that out when we get to Beacon." Danny replied.

"What's Beacon?" The Fentons asked.

"It's a school to train Huntsmen and Huntresses. Think Hogwarts meets the Xavier Institute." The geekier members of the audience got the reference.

"So, I think I'll point out the elephant in the room." Jack spoke up. "What happened to Vlad?" Thankfully Vlad was in the cockpit with Eric acting as co-pilot.

"When we fell through the Nexus, the dimensional energies altered us. My ghost half and human half were fused into one body, while Vlad had everything Plasmius taken away from him." Danny explained.

"So you trust him now?" Jazz asked, a little suspicious.

"Vlad was not inherently evil. The accident with the portal in college caused all his negativity and resentment to take form as a separate entity. Plasmius. From what I can tell, the Plasmius part of his mind took over the rest after the incident at his lab in Colorado. The Vlad we were fighting since then was more ghost than man. The Nexus basically exorcised Plasmius from Vlad." Danny chuckled. "And turned him into a Faunus."

"What's so funny about that?" Ellie asked.

"I always did tell him to get a cat." He laughed, and they slowly realized why he was laughing.

"Seriously?" Tucker chuckled.

"Completely." Danny replied.

"So, why is so much…younger?" Maddie asked.

"I'm starting to think Fate is just toying with Vlad by now, but don't tell him that."

The passenger cabin was filled with laughter for the rest of the trip back to Beacon.


End file.
